From the official Python website: "Python is a programming language that lets you work more quickly and integrate your systems more effectively. You can learn to use Python and see almost immediate gains in productivity and lower maintenance costs."

It is easy to create clean bug-free programs in Python due to the motto: "Errors should never pass silently." Python is an interpreter. Python source files (.py files) are typically compiled to an intermediate bytecode language (.pyc files) and executed by a Python Virtual Machine.

Because Python uses whitespace for structure, do not format long code examples with leading whitespace, instead use <pre></pre> tags, or, preferably, <lang python></lang> tags. This will make it easier to copy code into and out of the wiki. Example:

print'this line must not have leading indentation!'ifTrue:print'example: ', foo(3),len(bar)

Some Python examples may deviate from idiomatic Python because they may be written to work in Python 3.X as well as Python 2.X environments. This includes doing things like:

Using brackets in print statements/functions of one expression.

Using zip and not izip; keys(), values(), items() and not their iter- forms.

Checking for raw_input and setting raw_input to input if not found.

Conditionally importing reduce if it is not found.

This style is not a requirement for Python code on RC, but it may be in use and should not necessarily be 'corrected' if found in examples.

The command line is often used in Python for short pieces of code, and so, again; examples showing such use are not incorrect and may be left.